Joshua The High Priest Standing Before The Lord
written by Elijah Rodgers
“And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.” Zechariah 3:1
In vision God shows the prophet Zechariah “Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord.” In this vision God gives us a glimpse of the work of Jesus Christ as our intercessor and His power to resist Satan “the accuser of our brethren.”
Joshua was the high priest when Zechariah had this vision. He was pleading for the restoration of the temple and the city Jerusalem. He was pleading for fulfillment of the prophecy of the coming Messiah. He was pleading for the forgiveness of the sins that had caused Judah to go into the Babylonian captivity as Daniel pleaded for them in Daniel chapter 9. Daniel exclaims, “Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.” (Daniel 9:11) Daniel, as well as Joshua the high priest, had the assurance that God would forgive them if they would repent. “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;” Daniel 9:9
As Joshua the high priest is standing before the “Angel of the Lord” who is JESUS CHRIST our intercessor pleading on behalf of the sinful human race, Satan comes upon the scene and brings railing accusations against Joshua and Judah. Satan brings up their sins. He brings up the times when the people rebelled against God and worshiped idols and trusted in man’s power which could not help them. He even brings up the sins of Joshua. All the accusations that Satan brings up are true. Joshua cannot defend himself from the accusations of Satan. Joshua is clothed with “filthy garments” as he stands before Jesus Christ the one who can remove the “filthy garments.”
As Satan utters his accusations, “the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee.” Zechariah 3:2. The Lord has commanded, and Satan cannot withstand. The Lord says “is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” The Lord redeemed Joshua the high priest as “a brand plucked out of the fire” with His blood. If Joshua stayed in the fire of sin he would have been consumed by it “for the wages of sin is death...” Romans 6:23. Joshua was saved out of the fire by Jesus who came “to save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
Then Jesus said in Zechariah 3:4, “I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee.” The sins of Joshua and the sins of all the repentant of Israel had been forgiven. The Lord had said “take away the filthy garments from him,” the garments that had been marred with sin. Then he says “I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” This is being born again.
Being born again requires a change in desires and habits. We must allow Jesus to work “in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 If you allow Jesus to work in you He will work in you to “will” meaning to have the desire and to “do” or enable you to live the life of Christ. When we are born again Jesus will take all our righteousness because “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags,” and give us change of raiment. (Isaiah 64:6) This change of raiment is clean and white washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, this robe is the robe of Christ righteousness. Isaiah 61:10 says “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
The great controversy is about to come to an end. The remnant as did Joshua the high priest, plead for the forgiveness of all sin that they have committed saying “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalms 51:7 They long to have a Christ-like character. But as Satan came and bring railing accusations against Joshua he will do the same to the remnant.
As the great controversy comes to an end and Satan puts all his effort to attack, the Bible says that there will be a time of trouble. Jeremiah 30:7 says “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Satan will bring railing accusations against the people of God. He will accuse them of their unChrist-like characters that they had, the times when they were liars, the times when they were covetous and prideful. But the remnant have confessed their sins and asked God to forgive them, and Jesus says in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
As the Lord resisted Satan when Satan accused Joshua so when Satan accuses the people of God the Lord will put to silence “the accuser of our brethren.” Jesus will always come to the aid of the ones whom He has redeemed with His blood.
To all those that desire to have a Christ-like character, allow God to work “in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” To those that hunger and thirst after righteousness Jesus says in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
The appeal to every one young and old alike is, in 2018 give your life to Him. Jesus says in Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Open the door of your heart and let Jesus come in and abide. Jesus is calling you friend.
Elijah Rodgers is a young 12 year old enthusiastic evangelist excited about sharing the everlasting gospel. He is also a beekeeper and enjoys nature.